From The Heart Productions
Fiscally Sponsored Indie Films and Projects

Fresh off 90 days of no contact, Makeba and Che’s post-breakup dinner brings waves of emotions as they navigate their unresolved feelings towards each other and the past.
Exit Interview is as intimate as it is playful. witty banter engages the audience and provides comedic relief as the Makeba & Che share their complex insecurities.
introspective moments, will relay a sense of depth, introspection, and vulnerability - until they are humorously undone by the appearance of Dada & Jesse.
Exit Interview's Light hearted moments are full of Joy, optimism and romance and will be evoked by the incorporation of bright & warm colors.

Expressions is a unique and heartfelt romantic drama that tells the story of Flynn, a queer, Deaf man who struggles with verbal communication. Set in the mid 1990s, the film follows Flynn as he tries to work up the courage to ask his new neighbor, Parker, on a date, with the help of his best friend, Max, a loyal and loving dog. While American Sign Language is primarily used throughout the film, the use of voiceover and visual storytelling showcases Flynn's internal thoughts and emotions as he takes a new approach to expressing himself and overcoming his fears.

Faded Mist is a 2D animated dramedic tale of a little girl named Ariel Horowitz losing the person they love. Set at the riverbed of an inner town forest, a little girl is heartbroken over her mother passing away while giving birth to her baby brother. Faded Mist is a third person narrative of the girl telling her best friend, a curious cat, about the events that led up her mom’s death.

The Fashion Minute Film Festival is dedicated to celebrating the artistry of fashion through the medium of film. Our mission is to provide a platform for designers to express their creativity and connect with a broader audience, fostering collaboration between the fashion and film industries.

The Fashion Minute Film Festival is an inaugural September event, celebrating the intersection of fashion and film. From minute movies, to music videos, motion picture shorts, documentaries, and feature films. This unique platform aims to highlight innovative storytelling in fashion, offering designers a fresh way to present their artistry.

When a new mom confronts her traumatic birth experience, she decides she must find a better way. Through her transformative journey of discovery, she encounters a vibrant community united in rewriting the collective birth narrative, unveiling stories that inspire a birth revolution from within the system.

On December 20, 1977, at 7:06 AM, gale winds blow down a power line into a deep canyon, on the southern portion of a United States Air Force Strategic Air Command installation on the Central Coast of California. Santa Ana winds, sometimes in excess of a 100 miles per hour, take a small resulting spark, ignite it and transform it into a conflagration. Within a few hours, the fire will take the lives of the Base Commander and two Fire Chiefs. The loss of senior management results in irreparable harm; those on the front-lines of the fire now have to fend for themselves. Firestorm '77 tells the true stories of those who survive and those who did not.

Residents of the world’s northernmost town—which is steeped in darkness five months per year—explore why they inhabit such a hostile place.

Logline:
A marine biologist unlucky in love finds a mermaid’s tail on the beach and gets more than she bargained for when the tails owner follows her home.

A lonely, uptight lexicographer struggles to find love in Saigon while grappling with the untimely death of his first love.

In this film, the romantic tragedy musical will explore the beauty of the Vietnamese language and untangle the mindset of someone undergoing the experiences of PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder).

Food People is an all-ages animated sitcom cooking show that tells the story of what our foods are, where they come from, and how they can all work together to become part of a bigger recipe. As each episode progresses, viewers discover the ingredients needed to make a particular food based on which characters are featured in the story. At the end of those stories is a video montage of people around the world cooking these foods at home.

Juicebox helps lead the way as our characters investigate ingredients, learn lessons about equity and inclusion, build stronger friendships, and navigate the confusion of living all together in the fridge.

This faith-based documentary examines the extraordinary ways that people who have endured incredible hurt, pain, or suffering have found a hope that is greater than their pain. The film looks closely at how a trust in God produced uncommon strength and courageous attitudes that challenge our understanding and responses to pain and suffering. Responses that, apart from the power of God, are difficult to comprehend.

The film uncovers miracles of the heart while addressing—not ignoring—understandable questions of doubt and disbelief. It breaks through personal and social barriers that too often keep us from sharing or talking about our hurts and prevent us from reaching out for help.

Eric, an 11-year old boy who recently lost his father,
confronts a homeless veteran named Max in a
park. Despite his formidable appearance, Max is
quite friendly and they quickly form a unique bond.
Max, a former college instructor, teaches Eric
valuable life lessons through ancient Greek
philosophy. But Max’s mental health issues soon
put their friendship in jeopardy.

Malcolm Jamal Turner, a struggling writer living in Harlem fed up with the neighborhood's changing demographics, concocts a ludicrous scheme to "de-gentrify" it.

Freedom, WI is a dark comedy that follows Penny, a young woman obsessed with the dead and repulsed by the living. Her small-town life routine is disrupted when Ephram, a struggling writer from Chicago, gets a flat tire in front of her house during a cross-country bike journey.
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With a book pitch due and a lack of inspiration, Ephram is on a mission to steal people’s stories and sell them as his own. Intrigued by Ephram, Penny allows him to camp outside of her house in exchange for fixing up her yard.
​
Has Ephram found a muse? Has Penny found a living friend?

Tagline: Sometimes the hardest thing to do is stand up for what you believe is right.

From Selma to New York is an animated short documentary about Dabney Montgomery's journey to obey his conscience. Born in Selma, AL during Jim Crow he witnesses the signs of segregation everywhere in downtown Selma. On one fateful day he hears the Voice of God call him to break the segregated law. This is the story of what happens. A historic tale for modern times.

Born in Korea without legs, a Korean-American artist and athlete
finds the courage to search for the truth surrounding his birth and
abandonment at 2 weeks old.

"A coming of age love and basketball story with a Shakespearean twist".

While striving for state championships and basketball superiority, two young athletes from two totally divergent worlds meet and Cupid handles the rest. Despite raging hormones and the socioeconomic forces surrounding them, our two protagonists strive headlong toward their hoop dreams. Amid the physical impediments and competitive conflicts that naturally follow, they fall in love.

A woman begins to fall for her building's maintenance worker, but finds herself still entrapped by the memory of her abusive ex-lover.
Ultimately what I hope to explore with the film is the stickiness of trauma and grief - oftentimes, you aren't simply mourning a person, but what could have been, and the death of an old self that was in a way taken from you.

Gerald’s Hands is a compelling inspirational drama about a kind-loving man on the spectrum who tries to survive a tragic loss, keep his home, and win the love of his life. turn for the worse when he's at risk of losing his norms and takes matters into his own hands.

Ghost money is a feature-length narrative documentary about the filmmaker's return to Vietnam after forty years to search for his wartime lover, only to find that he might have fathered her child. After a year without results, he falls in love again, this time with a Vietnamese mother of two. Through a rich fusion of live-action footage, hand-drawn animation and rare archival film spanning five decades, Ghost Money is a moving commentary on the legacy of the Vietnam War -- broken families, unfinished lives and left-over children.

A thirteen-year-old’s world turns upside down when she falls hopelessly in love with a woman twice her age.

The night after the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is leaked,
a group of New York City mothers spend their monthly “wine-and-whine” night discussing the fate of their children: all soon-to-be 18-year-old sons.
When one woman jokes about chemically castrating her son in order to spark a legal battle, the mothers find themselves entertaining a ghoulish plan…

Going Fine Since 1889: The Magical Armstrongs is a feature length documentary about a family of African American magicians traveling throughout the South in the early 1900’s within the confines of the Jim Crow era. The film explores the life and times of illusionist John Hartford Armstrong, his wife Lillie Belle and daughter Ellen E. Armstrong, who continued the family legacy with a solo magic act. As America came into a modern century, where society and entertainment were changing rapidly, the Armstrong’s brought a sophisticated grandeur to the world of magic but are virtually forgotten today.

After the sudden passing of Bully, the family dog, a young son encounters a demonic dog coroner named Cosmo. Together, they embark on a journey to a secluded compound where Cosmo reveals his unconventional method of bringing deceased dogs back to life through a unique culinary ritual.

The inspiring true story of a twelve year old girl whose bake sale built a school in Haiti.

Green Frog Cafe is a short film about family and what happens when you realize you are about to lose someone special. Ever since he was a young boy, Steven had Jack as his mentor, to teach him how to whittle, how to spit, and how to sit up straight. Jack helped Steven buy his first guitar and took him along to the Green Frog Cafe where he and the other old-timers told tall tales.
Now Jack is ill and near the end of his life. Steven is afraid to lose his old friend and does his best to push everyone away and drink away his fears, not wanting to accept the inevitable. He makes a final trip home to say his goodbyes and help ease Jack’s final days.

"From the people, for the people"
For nearly a century, the aftermath of the tragic historical period of archived and hidden American Black history of a prosperous self-sufficient black owned business district in Tulsa Oklahoma, now serves to be powerless against the effects of de-segregation, and the modernized economic advancement leaving the Greenwood district formerly known as “Black Wall Street in a state of financial economic despair. This true story of “Black Wall Street” will be told from the perspectives of Greenwood community residents, descendants of the deceased wealthy minority business owners directly affected by the race riot, while exploring the perceived economic position

When lifelong besties are selected for a popular 1980s game show, a petty misunderstanding leads to a meltdown in front of a live studio audience, threatening their special bond.

As their 10-year high school reunion approaches, Dale and Trina, best friends with unfulfilled dreams, get a shot at success on "Grocery Grab," a live game show. However, their conflicting goals and poor communication create chaos, intensified by competing against high school nemeses. Amid pressure, a heartfelt confrontation occurs, leading to a profound realization. Winning isn't their priority; repairing their friendship is. Through tears and laughter, Dale and Trina reconnect, proving that there's no rock bottom when you're with true friends.

Happiest Days of Our Lives is a peek into the human psyche in a moment of great tragedy. It explores the fragility of human life and how trauma left unaddressed can bring us and those around us down. It follows Cameron, an 18-year-old boy who is left numb after losing his mother to mental illness and ultimately suicide. He is plagued by guilt and confusion but is resistant to facing his pain head-on, resulting in further tragedy. The story questions the responsibility of friends and family in times of turmoil and the power of unconditional love.

After a mass shooting turns America’s schools into near prisons, a group of disaffected high school students battle to destroy the system that subjugates them. Little do they know, a sociopath bent on teaching them tortuous lessons turns each student’s archetype against them one by one.

When the comments on a reluctant influencer’s first viral dance video overflow with people claiming to lose their bodies after watching it, she and her roommates must fight a mysterious stranger whose presence sparked the collective spell.

It’s Christmastime and Jessi is all but excited. She finds herself with comparisonitis in the world of social media. Other women her age just seem to “have it all”, including that engagement ring. Jessi finds herself frustrated over her job at the local big box store, still struggling with the loss of her parents, and drowning in student loan debt. Her Grandma and friends seem to be concerned for her health and well being, and only want Jessi to be happy.

Will Jessi ever see the love that is right in front of her? Will she continue down her dark path of negativity and struggle, or will the magic of Christmas shine light on her future?

Hats Horses and Hollywood is a behind-the-scenes look at the Horses you love in Hollywood films and television and the legendary horse whisperer, Rex Peterson. Rex, accompanied by an acclaimed group of Hollywood icons and professionals, takes you on a journey spanning decades of famous horse films. Hear it straight from the horses’ mouths - the challenges, dangers and extraordinary contributions of these gentle giants to movie magic. Rex, a rugged cowboy, shares his personal talents and secrets of his horse training craft and his deep connections with horses which set an example for the film industry and showcase the amazing bond between humans and animals.

THE SOLDIERS JOURNEY DOESN'T END WHEN THE UNIFORM IS PUT AWAY.

The heart of this film is focused on our Veterans and their successful transition into a life after military service. Our goal is to raise public awareness of the challenges and obstacles that military personnel face. Many of them do not possess the skills to enter a civilian work force. Believe it or not, that highly decorated soldier, after 10 years of service is not walking into a $100k, corporate position. We need to care for and honor our Veterans with the next phase of their lives.

A 16mm film observing the impact of homelessness, police brutality and stage fright on a resilient single father and young son.

O'ahu's west side, local revolutionary, has earned passage to follow his dream, but has to save his young rapping brother from his drug addiction, before he leaves.

Hometown Hustle is about how small businesses in small towns make a BIG impact. This series, hosted by show creator and producer Natalie K. Hodge, showcases the innovation, resilience and positive energy of entrepreneurs from little known places. The feel-good reality series is filled with heartwarming moments and humor.

What is something that everybody enjoys but no one acknowledges? Progress.
Human Progress – The Bad, the Good, and the Factual is a documentary that challenges the view of human progress as an illusion of the modern age vis-à-vis the denouncements of technological improvements as detrimental for society.

With a pandemic, climate disasters, crackdowns on protesters by authoritarian regimes, ongoing wars, hunger, and basic human rights under threat around the world, it is hard to believe, especially when reading the daily news, that things are getting better. Bad news and political discourse driven by fear and disinformation, ask for a fresh look at human progress.

Ukraine’s courageous, odds-defying stand against Russia ignited unparalleled global support for Ukraine while revealing the tremendous power of human unity. This film examines the diverse journeys Russia's unprovoked invasion has forced upon Ukrainians through the stories of the volunteers - inside and outside Ukraine - who are contributing whatever actions, skills, and resources they can. These often-unsung contributions are making an enormous difference to help keep Ukrainians in the fight, hopeful, and resilient, while also changing the volunteers themselves. The hope and possibility revealed provides a striking contrast to the injustices and atrocities Russia is inflicting upon Ukraine.

This film is about an elderly marginally housed woman living in San Francisco's Tenderloin District. As seen through her eyes, she struggles to manage the present while being hopelessly lost in the traumas of the past. In recent years there has been an explosion of people living on the streets in many small and large cities with much conversation about what to do about "them". This film is dedicated to those we know who may have fallen through the cracks and challenges us to try to understand ... and not look away. Funds will be used for production costs such as location fees, cast and crew, insurance , equipment rentals craft services and post production.

Gender incongruent as a child, Kathy, knew she was female as far back as pre-school. What did a penis have to do with anything, she asked her mom, Nancy. Even though, Nancy explained the facts, it never clicked for Kathy, so she did what all boys do and learned to become a boy. After spending her life suffocated by gender dysphoria, Kathy, now 60, petitions her health care provider for vocal and facial feminization surgery. A life-long dream shattered, when Kathy, during second surgery, contracts a life-altering infection forever changing her outcome. I Am Kathy is a tragedy and triumph. Kathy shows us what a survivior looks like, embracing her life fearlessly and unapologetically,

Dementia is a beast. In this warm, adventurous, and darkly humorous family drama on the fringes of reality, Vivian travels to the Mojave High Desert to convince her father, Art, to move from independence to assisted living. Vivian's struggle turns treacherous when Art goes missing in the dead of night. Now she must track him down with the help of only her paranormally-enthused husband, Shelby.

Detroiters inspire each other to vote through reciting a powerful spoken word poem by Charles Thomas Jr., a Detroit voting rights elder and activist.

This short film will be distributed for free to every GOTV org operating in the Detroit area during the critical 2022 mid-term elections.

I Remember Nicole is an Award-Winning, Call to Action! Music Video. A Global Anthem Reclaiming Power Over Domestic Violence.
While viewing I Remember Nicole, victims of abuse will see themselves in the faces of the hundreds of women who are standing strong. She will hear her life in the lyrics. Our hope is that I Remember Nicole empowers her to find HER voice. Raising Awareness while Raising the Roof!

In the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District, a group of Sisters, and a dedicated Faculty & Staff work to continue the mission of ICA Cristo Rey - the city’s sole surviving low-income, all-girls private high school, and the last hope of many of the Bay Area’s most overlooked families.

Consistently churning out some of the top-performing students in all of California and labeled as the most affordable college prep program in the Bay area (3k a year to the neighboring 60k), the school refuses to raise prices for an education that should be available to all. In one of the world’s most expensive, socioeconomically divided cities, they are doing it differently and showing it can be done. 

As profits continue to decline, farming communities in Colorado look to controversial solutions as they struggle to keep their traditional way of life alive. IN A DRY LAND explores industrial hemp’s role in saving rural America.

In the Path of Peace, a feature length documentary film, will show how Krav Maga, the self-defense discipline popularized in Israel, can be one of the most effective tools to combat antisemitism, particularly in the aftermath of the horrific attacks in Israel on October 7th. The film goes beyond self-defense, delving into the mental and physical empowerment that Krav Maga embodies, helping individuals build character, overcome trauma, and walk with pride.

Indie Rooftop is a 7-episode documentary series that features noteworthy independent artists of various genres in performances and interviews.

Logline:
After the death of her Grandma, 26 year old Kayla revisits her childhood only to discover that Grandma has strangely disappeared from some of her memories.

Inez is a short film centered around a recurring dream I had following my Grandma's (Inez) death. In the dream, I revisited my childhood memories with my Grandma. However, during the dream, I discovered that she was missing from those memories and I was unable to find her. Through my journey with grief, I set out to find my Grandma and to find peace after this devastating loss. The goal of this film is to not only celebrate my Grandma's life, but to also examine the journey of Grief- a journey that is often only seen for its